DECEMBER 2 • 2021 | 15

over, referring to American missionaries 
who have been kidnapped and held for 
ransom in Haiti since late October (though 
at press time some have been released). Levin 
praised his Huntington Woods constituents 
as the “heart and soul” of keeping Fenster’s 
plight in the public eye for many months. 
Outside the press conference, statements 
of great relief from government officials at 
Fenster’s release were tempered with the 
message that so many political prisoners, 
many of them journalists, remain behind 
bars in Myanmar and around the world. 
Blinken’s office released the following 
statement: “We welcome the release of 
American journalist Daniel Fenster from 
prison in Burma, where he was wrongfully 
detained for almost six months. I com-
mend Ambassador Tom Vajda and his 
team at U.S. Embassy Rangoon, Special 
Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs 
Roger Carstens, the expertise of Consular 
Affairs, and the dedicated partners, includ-
ing Gov. Bill Richardson, who helped facil-
itate Danny’s release.
“We are glad that Danny will soon be 
reunited with his family as we continue to 
call for the release of others who remain 

unjustly imprisoned in Burma.”
Sen. Gary Peters, along with his 
Michigan colleagues, repeatedly called 
for the release of Danny Fenster and has 
held numerous conversations with Biden 
Administration officials while co-sponsor-
ing bipartisan legislation condemning the 
Burmese military coup.

Welcoming Fenster home, Peters wrote: 
“This nightmare is finally over for Danny’s 
family, friends and loved ones. Danny was 
doing incredible work telling the stories 
of the Burmese people — and his unjust 
detention was an attack on the freedom of 
the press. That’s why I worked with admin-
istration officials and Danny’s family in 
Michigan to continue to press for Danny’s 
release, and I want to thank everyone who 
worked tirelessly to bring Danny home.”
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter 
expressed gratitude for the persistence of 
the Fenster family, the negotiating skills of 
Richardson and the perseverance of Danny 
Fenster, a journalist “who never should 
have been arrested for doing his job.
”
In a press release, Michigan state 
officials such as Sen. Jeremy Moss 
(D-Southfield) and Rep. Regina Weiss 

(D-Oak Park) said grassroots activity in 
their communities greatly contributed 
toward Fenster’s release.
“I’m so grateful that, after almost six 
months, Danny is finally headed home,” 
Weiss said. “There is no doubt that the 
tireless advocacy of Danny’s family and 
so many in our community has had an 
immense impact on Danny’s release. I am 
elated that he will soon be back home in 
Michigan with his family.”
In June, the Michigan Legislature adopt-
ed Senate Resolution 61, sponsored by 
Moss, and House Resolution 118, spon-
sored by Weiss, calling for Fenster’s release 
and safe return home.
“This is the moment we’ve been waiting 
for,” Moss stated. “Many voices from our 
community shared Danny’s story over 
these last 176 days, making sure the efforts 
to secure his release were fueled and ener-
gized. I’ve been in awe of the resilience, 
tenacity and strength of the Fenster family 
during this uncertain time.”

JOURNALISTS AT RISK
American Jewish Congress/Jewish 
Community Relations Council Detroit 
Executive Director Asher Lopatin in a 
press release said the organization gives 
gratitude to all who played an important 
role in enabling his release, including 
Levin and Richardson, while maintaining 
grave concern for those still in peril in the 
cloistered country. 
“We continue to express outrage that 
so many in the media, reporters and 

“FENSTER WAS A JOURNAL-
IST DOING HIS JOB REPORTING 
WHAT WAS HAPPENING, AND HE 

SHOULDN’T SUFFER.”

— GOV. BILL RICHARDSON

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